ecumenism" "
A letter has been addressed to the faithful of the Ukraine to explain how negotiations are progressing with regard to the recognition of the Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, following Cardinal Walter Kasper’s visit to Moscow. The letter is signed by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar on behalf of the Synod of bishops of the metropolitan see of Kiev and Halyè. “The fact that the discussion that concerns the internal development of our Church says the statement took place not in Kiev, nor in Lvov, not even in Rome, but in Moscow, and, what is more, without our participation, has upset and, in some sense, angered many Greek-Catholics. We want to express our own views on the matter, and respond to the many questions posed by our faithful”. The cardinal’s first invitation is to “prudence” and to the “wisdom of the heart and mind”. He then reassures his faithful that “the negotiations held in Moscow in no way cancel the general call for the development of the Patriarchate that emerged from the decisions of the Synod of Bishops of our Church”. In their declaration, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishops trace the history of their Church: “There have been many turbulent periods during which there were those who wished to expel it from its homeland, who repudiated its right to exist, who wanted to physically exterminate it, or curb it with administrative measures to such a degree that bit by bit it would cease to exist. In spite of all these ferocious attempts, we have not only survived” but developed. “One of the manifestations of this development explains the cardinal is our wish to be recognized as a Patriarchate”. Cardinal Husar stresses that recognition is not “a whim of the moment” but a desire that is rooted in history, and he adds: “we are profoundly convinced of the need for this canonical structure to consolidate the unity of the Church and of our people and for their proper development”. “Unfortunately writes Husar the replies received from the Patriarchate of Moscow and from the other Orthodox Churches often contain expressions that must be considered quite inadmissible in inter-church dialogue… We hope that in future those Orthodox circles that are amenable to constructive collaboration and reciprocal understanding will pronounce on the issue”. During his visit to Moscow, Cardinal Kasper spoke of the question with leading exponents of the Russian Patriarchate. “It’s an act of delicacy on the part of the pope” comments Husar but “the legitimate development of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church ought not to be the object of mere diplomatic negotiations”. The Pontifical Council for Christian Unity meanwhile recalls what was already stated on the occasion of Cardinal Kasper’s visit to Moscow, namely, that “the Holy See has received a written response from the Russian Orthodox Church regarding the possible establishment of a Greek-Catholic Patriarchate in the Ukraine, as also the responses of all the local Orthodox Churches on the question” (see SIR no.13/2004). On the same occasion, Cardinal Kasper had given his assurance that “the unanimous position of the Orthodox Churches has been taken into serious consideration by the authorities of the Catholic Church”. The Catholic Church is therefore “studying” the question but as the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity points out “no decision has yet been taken”.
